A federal judge blocks the administration’s birth control rules, which tried to make it easier for employers to refuse to cover birth control in their health insurance plans

The court ruling helps ensure that the 62 million women who gained access to birth control through the Affordable Care Act can keep it.

The administration’s birth control rules are designed to gut the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) contraception mandate, which requires employers to cover birth control for their workers. The rules would allow virtually any employers to deny a person birth control coverage.

It’s estimated that more than 62 million people gained access to no-copay birth control thanks to the ACA’s birth control mandate. The administration's birth control rules threaten to reverse those gains. But the day the rules were set to go into effect, a federal judge in Pennsylvania put a nationwide hold on them. The judge’s decision says the rules would cause many people to lose contraceptive coverage, and that would result in more unintended pregnancies and more reliance on state-funded contraception services.

Without insurance, an IUD could cost more than $1,300 out-of-pocket, and birth control pills could cost up to $600 per year.

Planned Parenthood

Taking away birth control coverage will make it harder for millions of people to get the care they need.

Forty percent of Black women ages 18-44 say they couldn’t afford more than $10 a month for birth control if they had to pay out of pocket. Research shows that when people have access to birth control, they can take better care of themselves or their families, support themselves financially, complete their education, and advance in their careers.

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As a woman in my mid-twenties, having access to birth control means that I can focus on getting my Masters and starting my career, so that I can give back to my community and support my family — when I'm ready to have one.